Mom arrested on child abuse charges in 3-year-old's beating death

SAGINAW, MI -- Autopsy results for a 3-year-old boy who was beaten to death showed that he suffered serious and continuous physical abuse that officials say was administered by the mother's live-in boyfriend.

On Wednesday, Jan. 10, Saginaw County Prosecutor John McColgan Jr. issued first-degree child abuse charges against Baby J's mother, Katie L. Leuenberger, who was arrested and has since bonded out of jail before facing a judge for arraignment, according to McColgan.

Prosecutors allege that Jordan "Baby J" Brown was injured while he was under the boyfriend's care at the mother's apartment in Saginaw Township.

According to Chief Prosecutor Christopher Boyd, "A parent has an affirmative obligation to protect their child from abuse from a third party."

Leuenberger has previously said that she went to the store for a money order to pay her rent and arrived back home where she was met by police and told that her baby was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.